Furthermore, the invention relates to a method to convey animal products in an agricultural business by means of a conveyor.
Animal products are produced in agricultural business, in particular stables. In modern, high-technologies stables, the environmental conditions of the animals are optimized to make a species-appropriate and simultaneously efficient production possible. In this regard, animal products shall mean in particular products from poultry farming, such as eggs or meat, e.g., also whole animals, such as broiler chickens. However, by-products from this production, such as animal feces, which are generated in breeding, egg production or meat production, such as the fattening of broilers, are understood as animal products.
Conveyors to convey animal products, mostly with an endless belt and a belt drive, which drives the conveyor belt in at least one conveying direction, are a component of modern stables. Such conveyor belts can also be called rope-belt or belt conveyors. They serve in particular to quickly and reliably evacuate and move animal products from different livestock systems (small group, aviary, cage, etc.).
This type of livestock and conveying systems are usually designed to have multiple levels, while the levels can be arranged vertically above each other, but also laterally offset above each other in stables.
In the case of conveyors to convey feces, it can additionally be provided that the feces be aired so as to dry it or to dry it in separate drying systems, in which the initially referenced conveyors can also be used.
It is a problem with existing conveyors that an irregular initial tension and/or an irregular load of the conveyor belt can result in “drifting”, whereby a conveyor belt no longer runs exactly on an intended track, but deviates from it laterally. Thus, the edges of the conveyor belt can, for example, get into contact with the lateral tracks, which can result in rubbing or, respectively, chafing of the conveyor belt and consequently to damage or even destruction of the conveyor belt, for example by a tear of the conveyor belt. However, in modern stables with corresponding livestock systems, a repair or an exchange of a conveyor belt is associated with significant work effort and an impact on both the animals and production.
Such an irregular load of the conveyor belt can in particular be caused by the uneven or, respectively, irregular loading of the conveyor belt with animal products. Currently, these problems are significantly increasing, since especially modern farming systems and an increasing significance of free range farming systems with a larger space for the animals cause a significantly more uneven distribution, e.g., of feces, on the conveyor belts.